


Liminal

by Red_Lotus



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Hurt No Comfort, I Made Myself Cry, I break you in 555 words, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Love Confessions, M/M, Paranormal, Samhain, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, in which I regret to inform y’all I am an ANGST writer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26764075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Lotus/pseuds/Red_Lotus
Summary: Newt doesn’t celebrate Samhain anymore. There’s no reason to, now that he’s alone, and it’s like any other day now. This time though, something was different.
Relationships: Original Percival Graves/Newt Scamander
Comments: 1
Kudos: 29





	Liminal

There’s an old story, that Samhain is a liminal time. The veil between the living realm and that of the Otherworld falls and allows the dead to walk the earth once again. 

It’s pure fiction, of course, everyone knows it’s not true. Widows will sit and wait at night, but they hold little hope and know in their hearts that it is not true. But sitting here, with _him_ in his study, in a little cottage in Dorset, Newt thinks maybe it holds a certain truth.

“I watched myself bury you, you know? You were there, you must know. Gods, Percy, it felt like a nightmare. I still remember staring at your body and just thinking this can’t be real but it was. It was real, wasn’t it?” 

Percival shifts from his spot leaning against the wall, crossing one ankle over the other in a relaxed posture. It is so unmistakably familiar that Newt’s heart clenches with grief.

“I don’t know, you tell me.” 

“It felt so real, but it didn’t at the same time. I don’t know how to explain it. But you were…” he trails off and corrects himself “are dead.” 

Percival hums, neither agreeing with nor denying the statement. It does nothing to soothe Newt’s thoughts.

Newt trails a finger over the thestral on his lower arm. It’s unnaturally still. It was once a proud, raring thing, hooves stamping and making its way all around his body, as the soul marks of magical folk do. Now it was laying down, legs tucked under itself and wings laying gently on the ground. Its chest rose no more, eyes permanently closed. It was a reminder of what he had lost, much like the man, no, the spirit in front of him now.

“Perhaps it’s because of the soulmate bond? It could...strengthen the ability to cross, I suppose.” 

Percival chuckles. “Always one to be analyzing things, aren’t you?” It’s said in a humorous tone but falls flat.

The light from the fireplace plays strangely over Percival’s face, making him look even more immaterial. Newt can barely just see the edges of the matching soul mark, that of a large thunderbird, peeking out from his collar.

It had been a shock, to say the least, finding the man barely clinging to life and attempting to shake him awake, only to have their soul marks react and switch places, back and forth, as if begging to be acknowledged. 

Newt hadn’t truly believed in soulmates, believing himself to be incapable of settling down. He knew he was wrong when he touched the man for the first time and he felt complete. Now it was just another thing to add to the list of things he was learning were indeed real.

“You know, I never believed in ghosts. I thought the ones at Hogwarts were just some sort of creature, like an evolved boggart of some sort.” 

The clock on the mantelpiece ticks, seeming to grow louder by the second. _Soon,_ it whispers, promises of something to happen.

Percival’s form flickers. 

“I know.” 

Newt notices immediately, expression clouding over with sorrow. His eyes are misty with tears fighting to escape as he chokes out his last words.

“I love you.” It carries an air of finality with it. 

Percival smiles softly. He doesn’t reply.

The clock strikes 12.

**Author's Note:**

> If you read all of this-are you okay? Do you need a tissue? I made myself cry with this and I’m the author seriously will you be okay? I’m posting a fluffy thing later it’ll be okay
> 
> Anyways this was supposed to be longer and more painful but I eventually started to hate it and needed to post it so you get a half assed attempt lmao
> 
> Written for Gramander Halloween 2020


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